COMMUNITY!!

Its all about community.  As the Journey Pastor at Canvas Church it is my job to push community.  As a staff, we though community was lacking at core group so we paid money to move it to where we thought community could be better cultivated.  At Canvas, we are about transforming a city by transforming lives.  We focus on 3 things and three things only: Elevate (gathering together as the body) Journey (we believe life is a journey and we focus on helping people walk through it) and Action (we want to be the hands and feet of Jesus).   So why is community such an important part of this? I am glad you asked.

The Journey is best lived out with other people to support you.  A group of believers doing life together, holding each other accountable, and encouraging each other.  In Acts the community was so strong in the early church that they sold possesions to make sure no one had need. Community brings the church together.  But how does it tie into anything else?  I am glad you asked again.

I was reading Erwin Mcmanus’ book Soul Cravings (wonderful book – easy read).  In it he says the following that just made everything click.

“The more we live disconnected lives, the more we become indifferent to the well-being of others. The farther we move from community the closer we get to violence……. When there is disengagement from human community, there is the potential for inhumanity.”

Community is the key to seeing other people the way Christ intended us to see them.  When we spend more time with humans, in human interaction (facebook doesn’t count) we are reminded of the struggles people have or the financial difficulty they could be going through.  True christian community makes sure our hearts break for the things that break the heart of Christ.

That is why I will forever say the answer to our problems is small groups and deep community.  Community causes people to see Christ!!!